


Andromeda Rising

by NympheSama



Category: Endless Summer (Visual Novel)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adaptation, Angst and Fluff and possible Smut, Danger, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Heartache, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Swearing, male Taylor, mythology based, novelisation kinda but also not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-02 11:54:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15795993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NympheSama/pseuds/NympheSama
Summary: When the world is facing its darkest hour; Andromeda shall be released. A weapon more powerful than any other, capable of saving the world from the destruction which awaits it.A group of lost college kids, must find the missing pieces of the puzzle, in a race against time itself; where the opposition, does not play fair.Will Andromeda rise as the shining saviour, and protector they were created to be? Or, will they fall?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Uh.... this is shorter than i intended but its kind of just a glimpse tbh so... apparently its a prologue now.
> 
> Um... hope you enjoy! Im'a go work on the actual STORY now... 
> 
> x My love to you all x

**Prologue.**

The darkness was everywhere, a smothering prison without walls or boundaries.  _Familiar._  The silence was complete, an eternal cocoon where sound no longer travelled.  _Familiar._  He felt his consciousness stir, a tickle of awareness in the back of his mind, a sharp break from the monotonous boredom.

_Clink._

He frowned slowly, the endless silence broken by the soft chime of _something._ His sleep hazed mind rejected the idea of waking, distraught at the thought of the endless darkness about him. He tried to turn, but the familiar pressure kept him restrained, the familiar quiet rustle of metal, confirming his continued stasis. With barely another thought, he allowed his consciousness to ebb toward peaceful slumber once more.

_Clink..._

The soft chime returned, as did his frown, his heart skipping a beat as he felt an involuntary prickle of restlessness, of excitement.  _Change..._  The thought was slurred, scratching through his mind like a jagged, torn nail over his skin.

...  _Ka-clink._

He drew in a long, slow breath, brushing aside the lingering fuzziness from his mind.  _How long... has it been_..? The whisper of a thought caressed the edge of his consciousness, gently drawing him closer to wakefulness, despite his struggles to return to the vacant void; wishing to evade a return to the tedium of endless waiting. Endless watching.

_Clink... Ka-clink._

His frown deepened, his breath quickening against his will, his own consciousness straining towards wakefulness as some change made itself known around him. With his heart thudding heavily in his chest, he slowly began to peel open his eyes, immediately struck by the ominous glow to the smothering darkness around him.

 _Clink... Clink. Ka-clink_...

He blinked slowly, his eyes tired and his vision blurred from the prolonged sleep he'd endured. Through the hazy wall of darkness, the odd glow loomed, illuminating his outline in fractured red and orange glimmers. He lowered his gaze, his vision slowly clearing, sharpening as he looked over his naked body. His skin was stained with the fiery colours, painting his body like a blazing tapestry, even through the thick shadows of the darkness he resided in.

 _Clink, clink, clink_...

His gaze fell upon his hands, the thick metal cuffs around his wrists glinting where they crossed over his chest, as the chains which wove around his body chimed delicately. He stared in disbelief, as the strange glow grew brighter, sparkling as it reflected off the metal chains and causing him to flinch briefly in surprise. _Is it... time_? He wondered, the thoughts forming slowly, as his heart skipped a beat in excited trepidation.

 _Ka-clink... Clink, clink_.

He watched in nervous fascination, as the chains around him seemed almost to quiver and vibrate. His eyes widened, as the metal began to crack near his feet, his heart rate soaring as the chains began to rattle more intently. His breath hitched, his heart skipping a beat as he imagined change coming for him; at long last.

_Clink, clink, clank... Ka-clink!_

He gasped, his throat raw as the chains finally snapped, a single link shattering into countless glittering shards of light; as the dark cocoon around him trembled, the fiery glow intensifying as he raised his hands from where they crossed over his chest in disbelief. He stared in fascination, as he turned his hands over slowly, the chains rattling quietly as the darkness he'd come to know so intimately continued to fade; burnt away by the blazing, flickering lights beyond.

 _Time..._  He thought with awe, his throat constricting tightly, scratching painfully whenever he took a breath. He glanced towards at his feet, kicking his legs gently in childish fascination, his movements unrestricted by the thick chains for the first time since he could remember.  _Time..._  He thought again, a whispered chant in his mind as he slowly raised his eyes, tipping his head back as the darkness finally receded; lights flickering and flashing around him, as he felt his cocoon shift, suddenly turbulent as flashes blurred past him.

 _Time..._  He thought, desperate and terrified in one, his heart racing as he raised his arms. He flailed, kicking his legs as he felt his cocoon tip; weighing him down as the flashes passing him picked up speed. He raised his eyes, to see he was falling; falling past the stars surrounding his prison, towards a world where fire crawled across its surface, consuming everything in its path.  _Time..._  He thought urgently, his fear cloying in his mind as he descended, his cocoon glowing orange as thick clouds  began to coalesce and converge around him.

His eyes widened, as he felt himself fall faster, his cocoon glowing brighter; flashing and sparkling as energy radiated from it, viciously lashing out at the clouds around him with great blasts of orange, before exploding in a crackle of sparks. His eyes locked onto the fiery wasteland below him, rushing eagerly to greet his fall. He gasped, as he spotted a single patch of unaffected terrain, directly beneath him and ralidly growing larger.  _An island..._  He realised, as he plummeted towards the small clearing, its towering volcano casting a threatening shadow over everything unclaimed by the roiling lava below.

 _Time._  He thought, a startling clarity striking his mind as he fell, curling into himself protectively; expectantly.  _The time has finally come._  The whisper passed through his thoughts, as he collided with the solid earth. He gasped, briefly aware of rock, sand and dust around him; before his world was consumed by darkness, and silence reigned thick over his mind once again.


	2. F-f-f-falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohayou! So... here i am again it seems! Heh, hope you didnt miss me in the brief moment i wasn't here XD
> 
> So... i admit i wanted this done earlier so i could work on the next chapter a little, but.. its done now so; alls well and all that.
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this - its still shorter than some of my previous chapters but, they might well pick up a little once the story really gets going :)
> 
> I'm so excited, but nervous... and im eager to see what you make of it, so please do let me know! <3
> 
> x My love to you all x

**1.**

**F-f-f-falling**.

Diego hummed to himself, his fingers tapping upon his phone screen as he typed up a short list of everything he hoped to experience once he reached the isle of La Huerta. He and nine other students from Hartfeld college had been lucky enough to have their names pulled from a raffle, earning them an entire week; all expenses paid, trip of a lifetime to the mysterious island, owned by the even more mysterious business tycoon, Everett Rourke.

 _Oh my god, I'm so excited! My heart is totally racin- oh, wait... is that just heartburn_..? He thought, pausing his list making to turn and gaze out the window a moment, frowning slightly as he laid a hand over his chest. He broke out in a pleased grin, looking down at the sparkling water so far below _. Nope, definitely just excited! God, this doesn't feel real... But we're finally on our way! Man... This sort of thing never happens to me!_  He thought, his body buzzing with excitement and the hum of determination, as he turned his attention back to his phone.  _Okay, things to do while on most awesome-o adventure of a lifetime... One; make a friend_.

Diego frowned, slowly raising his eyes to peek around the plane, quickly darting around the other contest winners; hoping none of them noticed him looking at them.  _Okay, maybe I should make that a... lower number. Maybe, not start with one of the harder ones._  He thought, clearing his throat faintly, as he added a zero to the one, and made the task a much less terrifying number ten. Satisfied, he peeked up with a goofy smirk, which faltered as he realised he had nobody to share the amusing revelation with. He sighed, looking around the plane again longingly.

A girl with red hair bounced eagerly in her seat, her eyes wide and bubbling with energy as she gazed down at the crystalline waters below them with am excited smile. _She seems nice... Maybe it won't be so hard, after all_... He thought briefly, biting his lip hesitantly as he averted his gaze, anxiety nipping at his determination. He turned his eyes towards the enormous, hugely muscled jock, whom he felt sure he knew the name of, but couldn't actually recall when he tried _. Big... Very big. Uh... Think I'll just, **not,**  talk to him_... Diego thought awkwardly, noticing that despite the large boys grin, his eyes were hard and guarded. Sat beside him was another large boy, one with darker skin and longer hair, whose smile was far kinder; and actually reached his eyes. _I don't think there's anyone at Hartfeld, who hasn't heard of Raj Bhandarker... Guys legendary when it comes to parties, keg-stands and the most efficient methods of getting high._

Diego frowned, looking back at his phone with a sigh.  _Make a friend... Yep, I can see it happening. I'll just... tuck that one behind the rock-climbing_. He thought despondently, his heart sinking as he shook his head softly.  _Only you could win a trip to a beautiful, luxury vacation... and be too scared to even say hi to someone_. He thought self-depreciatively, sighing wistfully as he saved his now dis-illusionary list and stared vacantly at his phone. After allowing himself a moment of self pity, he frowned and brought his phone closer to his eyes. "Five fifteen..?" He mumbled, lightly bumping the device against his opposing palm. "Shouldn't we be there by now, I thought we were supposed to be landing an hour ago..?" He wondered aloud, his heart skipping a best nervously.  _Maybe... I could go ask the pilot..?_  He thought, unbuckling his seatbelt and inching over the empty seat beside him toward the aisle. He hesitated, his anxiety warring with his curiosity briefly, before finally being beaten back by his desire to peek at the hot pilot he'd briefly glimpsed upon boarding.

As Diego pushed to his feet, he was startled to bump into someone. A very large someone, with a broad chest and lean, firm muscles; all of which made Diego's face turn red, as he felt a decidedly non-innocent curl of pleasure in his gut. "Uh, I'm sorry!" He yelped, as large hands settled on his upper arms to steady him, preventing him from falling back to his seat.

"Whoa there, little fella..." Rumbled a deep, honeyed baritone, as Diego froze and slowly raised his gaze with an indignant squeak. "You okay, man?" Asked a boy with dark chocolate skin, his eyes warm and affectionate, if slightly confused as they beheld Diego's red-faced embarrassment.

"I..." Diego hiccupped, slapping a hand over his mouth quickly to prevent himself from babbling. _I just walked face first into the chest of Sean Gayle_... He thought, as he nodded in wordless awe.  _Sean Gayle is looking at me... Sean Gayle is looking at me... Oh shit, Sean Gayle is looking at me_! "I uh... Oh, I'm, pretty guy, uh! Pretty good! I mean... I'm sorry-"

"Hey, no worries man." Sean chuckled, his eyes kind as he squeezed Diego's arms briefly, alighting his mind with several scenario's in which the sports star would grip him even tighter. "Honestly, it was my fault, I didn't see you... and, I'm kinda used to just blasting through people."

"Heh, football joke... I got that reference." Diego huffed weakly, his face burning as Sean chuckled and released his arms.  _Diego please, stop embarrassing yourself_.  _Say thankyou, say goodbye. If you can manage it, say something which will make him remember you, and wanna know more_. He cleared his throat faintly, gesturing to his seat. "I was sitting...  _here."_  He said awkwardly, his heart crashing in his chest as he felt sweat begin to form at the back of his neck. "I was probably just... lower down." He added, his mind screaming for him to stop talking as Sean chuckled again, the sound a deep rumble which made Diego shiver. "S-sorry, again..." He finally muttered, lowering his burning face as he bit his lip, peeking up at the sports star through his lashes as he leaned back against the seat to let him pass.

"No worries, man." Sean said, shooting him a warm smile, his eyes dipping over Diego's red face briefly before he slipped past. "Never a bad thing to have a pretty face meet with my chest." He called back, as Diego wheezed and felt his legs buckle beneath him.

He turned to hide his reaction from the sports star, his eyes widening as he choked and spluttered silently, his face utterly scorching in his embarrassment.  _Sean Gayle... **Sean Gayle...**  said I had a pretty face_... He thought in awed disbelief, biting his lip as his heart soared, holding back the hysterical giggle forming in his throat.  _I guess with a little luck, he was too focused on that to hear the idiotic babbling_... He thought acerbically, shaking his head to clear away the lingering warmth clutching at his gut.  _Okay... right, pilot. Landing_. He thought, taking a deep breath as he forced himself upright and began marching determinedly toward the cockpit, though his steps noticeably faltered as he passed the rest of the contest winners; who were talking loudly over each other.

"Excuse me," sneered the pale boy, scowling around the plane at the other, raucously laughing students. "But will you all, cease your  _relentless babbling_?!" He demanded, sniffing disdainfully as he gestured to a perky girl in a yellow top. "The tour guide, is trying to speak." He said imperiously, turning back to the brunette expectantly.

"Thank you, Aleister!" She said, as Diego tried to recall her name, shuffling past them as he tried to make himself as small and unnoticeable as he could. "As your tour guide for the week, I just want to say that we should all try to... you know, be friends!" She giggled cheerfully, her wide smile unsettling Diego as he averted his eyes shyly.

 _Easy for her to say... She's got confidence comin' out the wazoo._  He thought dejectedly, his face falling as he thought of his own distinct lack of confidence when it came to meeting people.  _I can barely bring myself to look at her, she's so bright and... happy_. I could never be like her. He thought, swallowing thickly as he continued down the aisle.

"Ugh, is it too late to jump out the plane?" He turned to see a girl with a maroon streaked Mohawk, with multiple ear and eyebrow piercings, as she sank into her seat with a scowl. She dug some headphones out of her bag and plugged them into her phone, glaring at the screen as she blocked out the perky tour guide.

 _And there is a girl who I must remember to never piss off_... He thought, clearing his throat as he tried to skip past her quickly. He hurried through to the cockpit, hovering in the doorway and biting his lip, as he caught sight of the pilots combat boots, kicked up onto the dashboard.  _Okay, speaking. Words. Don't embarrass yourself._  He thought, taking a deep breath as he felt a flush of heat rush to his face. "Uh, hi... I'm Diego, and I was wondering- I mean, um..." He babbled, groaning in frustration as his mouth ran away from him. "Uh, it's Jake, right?" He recalled from when they'd boarded, along with the cocky smirk and two finger salute which the pilot had greeted them with, the one which had elicited a not so innocent curl of warmth in his gut.

Diego cleared his throat, taking a deep breath to try and steady his heart, as it thumped heavily in his chest.  _"Ahem..._  Weren't we, uh... supposed to have landed by now..?" He finally managed to ask, mentally cheering when he didn't babble too noticeably. When a steady procession of soft grunts and quiet snorts was his only response, Diego cautiously peeked further into the cockpit, gasping when he caught sight of the pilot. His shaggy, sandy hair partially covered his face, which rested lightly upon his own shoulder. "Oh my god... are you  _asleep?!_  Oh god, we're gonna  _die!"_  He cried, hyperventilating suddenly as the pilot awoke.

 _"Hrn?_  Aw, hell..." Jake sighed, his cerulean eyes snapping open easily, his brow instantly furrowing into a frown. "That's the problem with goddamn college kids... too bloody noisy." He complained, groaning as he stretched in his chair and cracked his neck.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for being a little alarmed that  _our pilot was asleep_!" Diego cried, his eyes wide as he looked around the cockpit in alarm, half expecting them to fall from the sky any second. "Wha- you-!  _Oh my god._.."

"Calm down, Short Stuff." Jake huffed, rolling his eyes in exasperation as his lips curved into the same cocky smirk from when they'd boarded, a pleasant distraction from Diego's minor panic attack. "If you knew  _half_  the things I've survived, you'd bet on me to get you through anyth-" the pilot was shocked into silence, as turbulence hammered the plane from nowhere.

"Oh my god, I  _knew_  it! We're gonna die!" Diego yelped, as he was thrown into the wall of the cockpit.  _"Aah!"_  He gasped, steadying himself as the crystal clear sky abruptly turned dark, clouds of deepest black rolling in to smother them, seemingly from thin air.

"Aw, just great..." Jake muttered to himself, scowling at the sudden weather change, as he quickly lowered his feet from the dash and leaned in to grab the yoke. "This storm-front's comin' in quick." He hummed, clicking his tongue thoughtfully as he began to flip switches and turn dials with a familiar ease, while Diego felt his heart try to climb out of his throat. "Get ya ass in a seat, hear? And tell everybody to buckle up."

Diego barely paused to nod, turning to rush back into the aisle and stumbling in his haste. "Buckle up!" He called, his shyness forgotten as the plane lurched once more, sending him sprawling into the side of an empty seat. "Everybody buckle up!" He cried, looking out the window with wide and fearful eyes, as the clouds closed in thicker around them. The plane bounced dangerously, violent gusts of wind rocking it side to side as the other contest winners began shouting.

"Where the  _hell_  did this storm done from?!" Demanded a pretty blonde girl, who favoured her make-up a touch on the heavy side, not that Diego understood such things; but he noticed it with a strange clarity, as his fear spiked and he feared for his life. "It was a clear day!"

"It happens, okay?" Jake growled from the cockpit, as Diego stood in the aisle, locked into a frantic grasp of the seat beside him. "This is totally...  _normal!"_  He said, as he struggled to bring the plane back under control.

"Yeah. Sure." Scoffed the angry girl Diego had noticed on his way to the cockpit, her headphones long gone as she stared out the window.  _"That..._  looks normal." Diego turned back toward the cockpit, staring out through the windscreen, at the raging storm in horrified fascination. Vicious flashes of lightning speared the sky, flashing close to the planes nose and wings, but mercifully never making contact.

Diego's attention was held however, by the vivid orange colour to the lightning, as it began to coalesce into balls of orange electricity; shattering the darkness of the thick clouds around them, as they exploded in a crackle of sparks. _That is **not**  normal! Not normal at all_! He thought, clutching the chair beside him tighter, his legs refusing to move.

"It looks like ball lightning..!" A girl with glasses called, her hazelnut skin flickering with flashes of orange as she leaned closer to her window in fascination. "But, I've never seen  _anything_  quite like this!" She said, adjusting the glasses on her nose as she looked up into the blackened sky above them.

"I cannot die, surrounded by such a contingency of morons!" The pale boy declared, gripping the back of his chair tightly as he stared ahead of himself vacantly.

"Everyone, just  _breathe!"_  Sean called from the back of the plane, and Diego felt his heart skip a beat, wondering how averse the football star would be to having him go and sit in his lap until they either crashed and burned, or the plane stopped threatening to throw him from the nearest window. "We're gonna get through this!"

"Oh god, oh god..." Diego heard chanting similar to his own, and turned to glance at the redhead girl who'd seemed so excited earlier, now staring at the seat before her in obvious terror.

A blistering crack of thunder deafened Diego, as lightning suddenly struck the plane. He turned back to the cockpit, as sparks began to fly. "Welp, engines just lost power, Kiddos!" Jake called, sounding far too cheerful for Diego's liking, in the face of their certain demise. "Bringin' her down manually, so everybody hang-"

"Jake!" Diego cried, stumbling back to the cockpit as he stared at something ahead of them. "What the hell is  _that?!"_  He demanded, pointing to the flaring streak of shimmering light which was hurtling down through the darkened sky like a burning bullet.

"I..." Jake balked, his expression registering genuine confusion and concern for a moment, before he carefully rearranged his features into a scowl. "I dunno, and I don't bloody care! I told you to get in a damn chair!" He said, glancing at Diego briefly, as he stared after the trailing light, watching as it descended rapidly. The pilot returned his attention to his plane, realising that Diego wasn't about to leave any time soon; his gaze locked onto the blazing light as it careened towards the earth.

Diego's heart raced against his chest, terror clutching at him with needle like fingers in his mind. "That is something very big..! And very close!" He cried, as he stared out through the windscreen, watching the orange balls of lightning fizzle and explode around them, as the bright blaze of light continued to descend. "It's f-f-f-falling right ahead of us!" He stammered, his words catching as his breath faltered; his heart racing wildly, torn between awe and despair.

"C'mon, just a little farther..!" Jake growled, seemingly to himself, as he focused his attention onto stabilizing the plane. "I think we're almost out!" He said, just as the lightning reached a fever pitch around the plane.

"That-" Diego gasped, as the streaking light suddenly collided with something, a bright flash blinding him and Jake with a hiss, before the plane burst out of the storm clouds and into clear skies once more. Diego gasped, jerking back in surprise as he stared at an island ahead of them, a thick plume of dust and smoke arising from near to what appeared to be a huge volcano; which towered over a rainforest and breathed a column of white smoke, smack dab in the middle of the island. "What  _was_  that..?"

"I dunno," Jake admitted, eyeing the spot where the strange light had obviously struck for himself. "But whatever it was, it was movin' fast. Gonna be one hell of a crater down there..." He muttered thoughtfully, before scowling up at Diego. "Now, get your ass back to ya damn seat, 'cause we're comin' in fast!" He barked, turning to focus on bringing the plane down safely.

Diego swallowed, suddenly all too aware of how close he was to the pilot he may have been minorly crushing on. He cleared his throat awkwardly, stepping back as he stared at the apparent crash site a moment longer, before turning to hurry back up the aisle and retake his seat.  _What the **hell**  was that._.? He wondered, shaking his head in disbelief as he recalled the strange storm from nowhere; as well as the incredible blaze of light he'd seen. He turned to look out the window, watching the sparkling ocean pass beneath them, as the plane sank towards the gorgeous, sprawling island before them.

Diego vaguely heard the pilot calling into the Tower, but he barely made out the words, his mind absorbed with the strange phenomena he'd witnessed. _A shooting star..? No, wouldn't have fallen so directly, and not towards the earth_... He thought, frowning as he vividly recalled the blazing, beautiful light. _A meteor..? Seems unlikely to have only the one fall.._. He thought, closing his eyes as he drew in a deep breath and tried to calm his still rapidly beating heart. _Here's to mystery and adventure_. He thought, a tiny grin tugging at his lips despite a brief stab of loneliness in his heart, as he opened his eyes to witness the plane coming in to land at the edge of the island, pulling into a hangar.

Diego sighed, rising from his seat along with the other contest winners and gathering his things quickly. He joined the end of the eager queue to escape the plane, and once the path was cleared for him, he stepped down the stairs into the warn, tropical sunshine. "Oh my god...  _that..._  was  _terrifying."_  He finally admitted, as Jake marched away from the plane, yelling for the mechanic to fix up his plane. Diego huffed, his cheeks tinting with pink as he watched the man go, clicking his tongue as he thought of how close they'd been in the cockpit, without his even noticing.  _Yes Diego, things are looking up. You stood next to a hot guy for thirty seconds. Next step; talking_! He scoffed, shaking his head as he moved around the plane to collect his luggage from the cargo bay.

Diego glanced around the other students, noticing the mountain of a boy in a football jersey scowling and grumbling to himself, and firmly deciding it would be a good idea to steer clear of him.  _Muscles are good to look at, so good... to look at... But I do not wanna be the one to test the strength in them. Well, not by being bent in two any how_... He thought, as he reached for his luggage distractedly, his hand colliding with another in the process.

"Oh, sorry!" Sean said, his eyes wide as Diego's face flushed with heat. "Heh, looks like I'm destined to run into you today, uh... I'm sorry, what was your name again?" The sports star said, his surprise fading quickly, replaced by a familiar suave confidence and a bright grin.

"Me?  _My_  name? Oh, uh..." Diego babbled, cursing himself for an idiot as Sean's smile grew. He tried to look away from Sean's dark eyes, which swam with amusement as he watched Diego flounder for words. "I, uh, I'm Diego... I think." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat as Sean chuckled gently.

"Well, Diego... Here's your bag for you." Sean said, easily lifting Diego's bag and offering it to him with a warm smile. Diego flushed a deeper shade of red, biting his lip as he reached for his bag and made a non-verbal sound of gratitude.

"Oh my god... Could you  _be_  any more desperate?" The blonde girl demanded, stepping up beside Sean and draping her arms around him as Diego jumped, drawing his luggage to his chest like a protective shield. "People like you  _always_  hover around the spotlight like moths."

"Oh, uh..." Diego hedged, taking a step back as he looked around nervously, noticing Sean frowning at the blondes harsh words. "Trust me, the spotlight is the  _last_  place I wanna be..." He said lightly, shaking his head quickly. "I uh... I have photophobia!"

"What..?" The blonde sneered, as Sean chuckled fondly, the athlete seeming to appreciate Diego's sense of humour and his attempt to diffuse the situation. "Oh, yeah... right." She sniffed, rolling her eye's as as Diego took a step backwards. "I can just see it now."

"Okay, loik, I... I do not want a crazy, pissed off girlfriend on my case..." Diego hedged, raising his palms towards the blonde in placation, her eyes slowly widening as he shook his head and continued to back away.

 _"Wha-?!_  How did you-? The blonde demanded, shaking her head slightly in disbelief while Sean balked, his eyes slowly widening in shock.

"Look, you're totally,  _super_  gorgeous." Diego offered, turning aside and stepping around her onto the path. "And I, do  _not_  want to lose my face, or any other part of me; by looking at what clearly belongs to someone else..." He said, surprised at his own boldness and coherency, as he held his bags protectively to his chest.

"I... You.." The blonde gasped, taken aback by Diego's attitude herself, staring at him in surprise for a long moment before finally nodding. "Well, yeah. Thanks." She said, drawing in a deep breath and painting a condescending smile on her face.

"Uh, I think it's time you returned to reality with the rest of us, Michelle." Sean demanded, his attention focused on the blonde, as he glowered at her furiously. "Because we, are  _not_  together anymore." He said, scowling as Michelle turned to begin arguing with him.

Diego drew in a deep breath slowly, shuffling away from them in discomfort. _I do not do confrontation, I do not do conflict_. He thought, shaking his head briefly, until he heard his foot clink against something. "Huh?" He hummed, bending to collect what appeared to be a fuzzy topped tranquilizer dart. "Okay... beautiful island suddenly turned creepy.  _Joy."_  He mumbled, a spike of fear shivering down his spine.  _The vials nearly empty... Guess it hit its target_. He thought, biting his lip in agitation, as he looked over the dosage marker.  _Whatever it was must've been **huge,**  to take all of that... But, I don't see anything around which would indicate a fight_... He thought, glancing around nervously. "Please,  _please..._  do not let me be victim of the mysterious beast, if this vacation turns into some kind of slasher movie..." He complained, swallowing thickly as he made to move away, only to pause; as he noticed someone a short ways ahead, watching him intently.

A girl with dark brown hair, and a scar over her left eye, stared at the dart with such a fierce gaze that Diego half expected his hand to burst into flames.  _Oh god, she's gonna kill me_... He panicked, dropping the dart as he grabbed for the other handle on his luggage, clasping it over his chest protectively. _That is **not**  a friendly face! She wants to kill me_! He thought, his mind providing many a scenario which resulted in his own demise. He shivered, the intense aura around the girl setting him on edge.  _There's quiet, like **me,**  then there's quiet; like, she's just plotting how it is that she most wants to kill me_! He thought, biting his lip as her eyes rose to his briefly. _Please don't kill me, lady_! He thought desperately, his breath catching, as his heart leaped into his throat.

"Hey, Lila!" Jake called, scowling as he stormed back from around the side of the hangar. "Where the bloody hell are your people?" He demanded, as the silent girl finally looked away from Diego. "There's nobody here!"

 _Oh thank you, hot pilot_! Diego thought desperately, exhaling deeply as he felt his heart flutter in relief. He looked around, noticing with rising concern that the man was correct, their group remained the only people at the airstrip. _I wanted mystery and adventure, but not the horror kind..! I don't wanna be extra number four; the guy who died and nobody even noticed!_ He thought despondently _._

"Hmm, they should be here in a shuttle, to take us up to the main resort..." The tour guide hummed, her eyes wide as she gazed around the hangar thoughtfully. "But, I'm sure its just a slight delay!" She finally said, her bright smile returning as she waved her finger around them all confidently. "No need to fret! They'll be here any minute!"

"The hell with  _that."_  Jake scoffed, tipping his chin towards a building at the edge of the airstrip, a short ways into the distance. "I'm going up to that control tower to get some goddamn answers."

Diego sucked in a deep breath, about to ask what he thought was going on, when he hesitated. _I... do not wanna push my luck with this guy. He might've let me get away with staying in the cockpit during the flight, looking at that... light_... He thought distractedly, glancing around the top of the rainforest in the distance, but unable to make out any sign of the crash site; the trees too tall now that they had landed. _But that doesn't mean he wants me to be hanging around, playing twenty questions to try and get to know him._  He thought, sighing as he turned away dejectedly.

"Um, okay! I guess, the rest of you, please follow me?" Lila said, beaming around the rest of the group, waving her arms in an attempt to draw them all together. "We'll take the short walk to the hill to the resort. Sounds fun, right?  _Yay!"_  She giggled excitedly, as Diego sighed, tired just from witnessing the brunette's excessive energy. "Um, Quinn? Where are you going?" Lila asked suddenly, her eyes widening as the redheaded girl skipped past her, unbuttoning her blouse with a giggle.

"Some of us want to explore the beach a little first!" She said, beaming a joyful grin back at the tour guide. "We'll meet you guys at the hotel!" She huffed, pausing as her fingers snagged on her blouse.  _"Oof,_  this buttons stuck... Oh, can somebody help me, please?"

Diego discreetly stepped away, as Quinn drew closer to Jake, biting her lip as she gazed up at him imploringly. "Heh, I ain't the kinda hero you're looking for, Red." The pilot huffed, though he deftly helped her undo her last button, allowing her to slip out of her top.

 _"Ah,_  that's better! Thanks! But, you really don't know what kind of hero I'm after..." She giggled, beaming a wide and curiously innocent grin at him. Diego's stomach tightened, jealousy nipping at him over her easy ability to talk to people. "Hell, maybe you're  _exactly_  the kind I'm looking for!"

"I ain't." Jake repeated firmly, turning away from her in obvious disinterest, as he began walking towards the control tower. "Have fun playin', Kiddos." He scoffed, offering a two finger salute over his shoulder.

Quinn pouted after him for a brief moment, her cheeks puffing out in a way which Diego found utterly adorable, before she turned and stalked off towards the beach.  _Wow, that girl has the 'cute and innocent' thing down to pat..._  He thought, huffing as he joined the back of the remaining group, and began to follow them up the paved road. His thoughts turned back to the strange light he'd seen, as the group ahead of him chatted and laughed, rolling their suitcases behind them; as Diego brought up the rear. _I wonder if maybe we could find the crash site, if we get the chance to do some hiking or something_... He mused, humming faintly to himself as he walked. Just as he felt fatigue begin to settle into his legs, he rounded the bend and caught sight of their hotel.

"May I be the first to welcome you all to..." Lila said dramatically, raising her arm towards a tall building with curved windows. " _The Celestial_!" She announced proudly, her smile so wide and joyful that Diego was admittedly concerned her dimpled cheeks might pop.

"We get to stay  _here?!"_  The dark skinned girl gasped, her eyes crinkling behind her glasses, as she grinned widely and tapped her fingertips together in her excitement.

"Huh." The moody girl from the plane hummed, smirking as she gazed up at the impressive building in reluctant admiration. "Maybe this trip  _won't_  suck." She conceded, shifting the computer bag strapped across her shoulder.

"Well? What are we waiting for?" Sean asked, beaming a wide smile around them all. "Let's check out our rooms." He said, leading the excited group toward the lobby after the tour guide. Diego hung back, his eyes trailing over the long, ornamented overhang and the various lush flowerbeds.

From ahead of him, he could still barely make out Lila's voice, as she launched into her obviously rehearsed speech. "The Celestial Hotel and Resort, the jewel of the Caribbean, boasts twenty five stories and one thousand, two hundred suites; of the finest, tropical accommodations you can imagine." She informed them all, as Diego quickly caught up to the back of the group. "Built on the island of La Huerta, which means 'The Garden,' the Celestial ranked in Travel and Leisure's top ten global hotels last year." She continued, as the automatic doors slid open for them all.

Diego gasped as he stepped through to enter the crisp air conditioning of the lobby, abruptly coming to a halt along with everyone else, as they gazed around in stunned disbelief. The silence was deafening. Suitcases and luggage carts stood unattended, while the front desk was deserted. On a table beside a reclining armchair, a half-finished wine glass stood, gathering dust as if it had been abandoned long ago.

"If this place is supposed to be so great..." The heavily pierced girl began, her eyes widening as she gazed around the empty lobby, before voicing the very thought which Diego felt sure was dominating all of their minds. "Then where the hell  _is_  everyone?"


	3. I Ain't Ya Huckleberry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is slightly shorter than i anticipated - but, i have been kidnapped, and am being held against my will in a locatuon with no wifi. As such i wanted to get this finished and posted today, while i have access to wifi...
> 
> So this i probably wont be able to update til at least the weekend now... sorry about that... i have a few one shots i am gonna work on though so maybe i will still have something to post by the time i next have wifi access. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! And thankyou so so much for reading! Xx
> 
> x My love to you all x

**2.**

**I Ain't Ya Huckleberry**.

"Carlos! Where the hell are you man?" Jake yelled demandingly, as he stalked towards the control tower, irritated that Carlos seemed to be so intent upon ignoring him.  _Dumb bastard ain't gettin' outta payin' up that hundred bucks he owes me... I won that hand, fair and square._  He thought, purposely ignoring the fact that he'd cheated in their last game of poker. He paused on the path, his brow furrowing as he glanced back at the group he'd flown over, before he snorted and faced forward again.  _They're Dimples' problem, now. I did my part. I'm a damn hero for even gettin' 'em through that storm, let alone on the ground_. He thought dismissively, though he couldn't help the way his thoughts were drawn to the strange, glowing light he'd seen while trying to stabilize the plane.

 _Ain't seen nothin' like it before_... He thought, frowning as he stomped past the trees which marked the edge of the rainforest.  _Hopefully won't again... But, still, I wonder what it was. Debris from a satellite_?  _Too bright for a missi_ \- He thought, flinching unconsciously as his mind tried to return to the single worst moment of his life. He stopped on the path, his shoulders locking as his hands curled into tight fists, his teeth gritting painfully.  _Oh no, I ain't goin' there again. I ain't had nearly enough to drink for this shit to be croppin' up_. He thought, scowling as he viciously tried to swipe the thoughts of his dishonourable discharge from the navy, of the mother and sister he'd abandoned in his shame, of his past from his mind. A flash of fire licked across his vision, and Jake grunted, his eyes slamming shut as his chest began to rise and fall rapidly, his breath quickening in his frustration.

With a growl, he pushed past the flames and the screaming, and began focusing on the bottle of Anejo he had awaiting him back in Costa Rica, deciding whether to drink from right in his hammock or to take it down to the nearby beach. After a long pause, he rolled his shoulders, shrugging off the memories as he once more continued along the path towards the control tower. _Well, whatever it was, ain't my concern. Soon as I find Carlos and the asshole has refueled Delilah, we'll be outta here... Good riddance_. He thought, sniffing disdainfully as he reached the control tower stairs. He began to walk up them lightly, remembering there were several dodgy steps which nobody ever seemed prepared to repair.

His thoughts turned to the storm itself, his frown returning as he recalled the thick darkness which had rolled in around them, seemingly from nowhere.  _Gotta admit, that was weird... Ain't seen a storm front push in quite that quick, close I guess but, hell if I didn't know better I'd have said they pulled themselves outta thin air around us_. He thought, shaking his head as he hopped up the steps, pausing before the door to look out over the rainforest, barely picking out the faint stream of dust and debris.  _Hmm..._  He thought, utterly unaffected by the view as he considered the crash site, at the foot of what appeared to be a dormant volcano.

 _Once upon a time I'd have thought this place beautiful_. He thought abruptly, before snorting his head and rolling his eyes at his own sappy thoughts.  _From bein' the best pilot in the Navy for over a decade, to ferryin' the young and the privileged, snot nosed, little rich jerks around every privately owned resort island in the Caribbean... Yes, Grandpa, you've done well for yourself_. He huffed at the acerbic thought, much more comfortable in his own snark than the sentimental thoughts which had begun to filter into his mind of late. The longing, the wistfulness.  _It pays the bar tab, and keeps me from settlin' in any one place too long. That's all I can ask for now_. He thought firmly, shaking his head as the ridiculous thought of a picket fence around his hammock, on the sandy shores of Costa Rica.  _Get a grip, Grandpa. That ship has sailed. More, don't exist and even if it did, I don't need anyone else in my life... I know how that story ends_. Jake cleared his throat, turning away fro the rainforest and grabbing the control tower door, pushing it open with a scowl.

"Carlos, you dumb-!" He began, though he was quickly stunned into silence, a feat some would have relished the opportunity to witness. "Hey, what the..." he muttered distantly, stepping further inside as he gazed around the empty control tower with his eyes growing wide in disbelief. _How the hell can there be no one here._.? He thought distantly, his brow furrowing in confusion. He slowly wandered over to the nearest desk, the various computer terminals all dark and ominously silent. _Well no wonder nobody responded to my emergency call... But what the hell is goin'? I know they still use this airstrip, I was here just the other day! Everythin' was bloody fine_! He thought, dragging his fingers lightly across the console, and frowning when they came away coated with a thick sheen of dust.

Jake turned to examine the main terminal, flicking buttons idly as he passed, despite having no idea what purpose they served. No matter what he touched however, the screens remained dark and unresponsive.  _What the bloody hell is goin' on here?_  He wondered, shaking his head as he spun to look behind him, making sure nobody was hiding to try and surprise him.  _This is gettin' way too damn suspicious. Did they track me here_? He thought suddenly, scowling a his hand curled into ball, gritting his teeth tightly.  _Is this an ambush? I need to get Delilah refueled before I can make any significant flights... The Goof Troop will have to take care of 'emselves_. He thought, already sifting through various plans which would get him to the nearest mainland.  _First things first, I gotta get the lay of the land. I wanna know if they're tryin' to sneak up on_ -

Jake's thoughts abruptly fell silent as he turned to survey the tree line, his brow creasing with suspicion as he caught a flicker of movement, before suddenly falling away into awe. "What the-" he breathed, his eyes widening as he became utterly enraptured by the sky. _What kinda freaky ass rabbit hole did I just fall through_..? He wondered distantly, as he stepped slowly across the control tower, raising a hand to the glass as he stared out in wonder, as a myriad of colours washed over him _. I am not drunk enough for this_... He thought, as he gazed out to where the island itself seemed to pulse with red and blue light, the sky painted with a rippling aurora which fluttered over the trees.

His fingers twitched, curling loosely into the empty, vacant air around him. Despite his thickset bravado, for the briefest of heartbeats, he yearned for someone to be stood beside him; to share the amazing display with, to feel some sort of connection to.  _This is such horseshit_... He thought, shaking his head as he stared at the magical event before him with his eyes blown wide in disbelief.

He blinked, and the phenomena vanished, the colours gone as if they had never been. Jake exhaled heavily, physically shaking himself out of whatever had held him so enraptured. He looked down, to where his fingers were still hooked in the air, and coughed as he quickly balled them into a tight fist. "I don't need anyone." He said bitterly, his gaze turning hard as he looked back at the window. "Just 'cause something... weird, was goin' on with the glass here, don't mean..." He bit his cheek, cutting off his own dark mutterings as he snorted and glared at the sky accusingly. _You can't fool me with a few light tricks_. He thought scathingly, narrowing his eyes before he turned and ducked quickly out of the control room.

Jake scowled his way down the stairs, forgetting the dodgy steps in his ire until one cracked in two beneath him.  _Shit-_  he thought, reacting instinctively and jumping back, preventing himself from plunging the fifty foot drop with the two halves of the rusted metal step. "Goddamn, piece o' junk..." He muttered darkly, though his mood perked slightly at the near miss _. Heh, I still got it... I can still stay one step ahead_. He thought, sniffing disdainfully as he hopped over the gap and proceeded down the remaining stairs with a cocky grin. Once he was back on solid ground, he glanced back up at the control tower, saluting it sarcastically before finally moving away towards the hotel.  _Carlos is probably up in the damn bar or somethin', he's always braggin' about it_... He reasoned, as he headed up the road.

It took a solid ten minutes of quick marching, his eyes constantly sharp and alert for any sign that he was being tracked, watched or followed.  _Welp, someone's compensatin_ '... He thought, snickering to himself as he smirked up at the enormous hotel knowingly.  _Everett Rourke, mystery man who has his own playground laboratories, where he creates bioweapons and god knows what else_... He thought, scowling again as he considered the type of man who so perfectly matched up to his ex-commander. He grit his teeth and snorted, gazing up at the countless curved windows which soared above him. "Godammit, you bastard, Carlos..." He growled, running his hand through his hair distractedly. "Fifty times I been to this goddamn island, and I ain't never been off the airstrip... You owe me for this, you...  _Bastard."_  He muttered, continuing towards the hotel without a other pause, determined to get paid; and get the hell out of dodge. He stormed up the remainder of the path to the automatic entrance doors, barging through them like a force of nature himself, only to freeze as soon as he stepped inside.

"What the-" he balked, as he stared at the congregation before him. The kids he'd flown in were standing around the lobby, looking every bit the lost sheep bleating brainlessly, as they stared around the entrance hall, which was devoid of all life.  _Not natural..._ _Too quiet. Too still._  He thought quickly, his sharp eyes darting around the abandoned luggage carts, the un-staffed help desk and the various suitcases left haphazardly throughout the lobby. _Emergency evac? Forced entry? Hostages_? He wondered quickly, debating the most likely possibilities as he slowly stalked further into the room.

"So, does anybody happen to know-" the big kid began, who Jake recognised as the up and coming; Sean Gayle, from the few times he'd taken to betting on a couple sports matches, his wide eyes travelling across the group. "Where the hell is everyone?"

Jake prowled further into the hotel lobby, his sharp eyes darting around suspiciously, landing on a half finished wine glass briefly, which seemed to be covered in almost as much dust as the control tower console had been; despite the seemingly fresh lipstick stain on the rim.  _Too sloppy for Ara_ \- He thought with a scowl, cutting the thought off abruptly. He slowly moved through the lobby, eyeing the abandoned luggage critically and ignoring the blonde girl with the shop store of makeup on, as she began ringing the concierge bell like her life depended on it.  _Too much evidence left behind_. He couldn't help but think, as he finally came to a halt, his heart skipping a beat briefly. _So, this is gonna be our graveyard_... The thought slapped him suddenly, and he was pleased nobody was looking his way to see him flinch. He scowled, his hand curling into a tight ball as the college brats began wittering about the empty hotel.

A large boy with long curly hair, dark mocha skin and what Jake thought might have been the largest, cheesiest grin he'd ever seem; popped up from behind the bar, proudly displaying two large bottles of alcohol. "At least the booze is still here!" He called cheerfully, his wide grin eager as he looked over the group. "Who's up for a Mai Tai?!"

"Now ya speakin' my language, Kid." Jake replied, throwing him a cocky wink, as he moved over to the bar. "Hand me that bottle of Tequila over there." He added, holding out his hand expectantly. The large boy blinked, before passing over the bottle Jake had indicated, raising a brow as he twisted off the top and immediately took a large swig.

"Haha, dude!" The large boy cheered, nodding his head in approval as Jake glanced back at him briefly.  _"Duuuuuude!"_

Jake rolled his eyes, turning to examine the other kids scattered through the lobby. The dark skinned girl seemed nervous, her fingers tapping together as she peered around through her glasses. "... This is not good."

"What are you complainin' about, dweeb?" Scoffed the large jock, as Jake assessed the potential threat if he ever pissed the guy off. His football jersey was pulled tight over his thick arms, almost to the point of the fabric splitting.

 _Kids an idiot though, no matter how strong_... Jake thought, as he drank another shot of Tequila from his bottle, grimacing briefly at the bitter aftertaste.  _These kids are all idiots... babbling about it like they're some sort of Scooby Doo Gang, about to solve he mystery_... He snorted, rolling his eyes as he hung back by the bar and steadily made a significant dent in his tequila bottle.

"Its like everyone just got up and left..." Said the quiet guy who'd taken up residence in the cockpit during the flight. Jake frowned, recalling again the strange light they'd seen during the freak storm, and the crash site not so far away.

"But, without their luggage?" Asked the flirty redhead, her blouse back on over her bikini. "Why?" She asked, her cheeks puffing out as she pouted around the group, her gaze falling on Jake as he swigged from his bottle again.

"Does anybody have cell service?" The quiet guy asked, frowning down at his phone before looking around them all imploringly, as they began to check their own devices.

Jake hummed thoughtfully, digging out his own phone and discreetly checking his own signal, his eyes narrowing as he found the strange kid was right.  _Knocked out the towers_? He wondered, humming as he drank another deep swig of Tequila.

"Maybe they don't got any towers here." The beefy jock suggested, though he clearly wasn't bothered by the development in the least.

"Of course the island has cell phone towers, you colossal buffoon." The pale boy growled, scowling at the jock irritably, as he folded his arms over his chest. Jake narrowed his eyes at the pale boy, who spluttered when the angry girl with piercings began to quiz him.

"And how would  _you_  know that?" She demanded, flicking her Mohawk out of her eyes, as she glared at the pompous boy hatefully.

"I... well, of course, I..." The pale boy balked and Jake raised a brow, sensing his hesitance and dishonesty, before it was carefully wiped aside by a mask of furious superiority. "Perhaps because I am not a complete imbecile? They were plainly visible in the distance, upon our approach."

"What do you think is happening, Mr pilot?" The redhead asked curiously, sidling up beside him with an innocent smile. "I mean, maybe this is all just... Some sort of prank, right?" She asked, her arms clasped tightly behind her back to make a show of her admittedly ample cleavage.

"I think I'm busy." Jake said disinterestedly, drawing another deep swig of Tequila from his bottle as he glanced sideways at her.

"Bur, aren't you curious?" She asked, her eyes widening in surprise at his blatant disregard. "Don't you maybe... wanna look around, and see what we can find? We could go together, if you want some compa-"

"I already told ya," Jake said, pushing away from the bar as he took another drag of Tequila. "I ain't ya huckleberry, Red." He huffed wearily, pausing mid-step as he began to move away. "... Don't ask again." He said, before turning away and wandering through the lobby.  _Nice job, Grandpa... She's only a kid, ya didn't need to be a total asshol_ \- he snipped the thought off abruptly, refusing to allow himself to feel guilty for dissuading the girl. Better she know now. He assured himself firmly, leaning against the wall as he watched the rest of the group quietly.

"Everyone! Please be calm!" Sean called, raising his arms for everyone to see him. "I'm sure this is just... an evacuation due to a, gas leak or an outbreak or something, and everyone had to leave..."

Jake snorted, rolling his eyes as the sports star tried to play hero. He watched as the others noticed the tour guide was missing, and trailed along behind them when they returned outside to find her.  _Someone's just hit meltdown_... He thought, snickering as he raised the bottle back to his lips, while the others tried to calm the frantically pacing tour guide.

"... I'm sure this is positively nothing to worry about!" She cried, blinking her wide eyes as she rearranged her nervous expression into a beaming smile, her dimples popping back onto her cheeks suddenly. "I'd bet its just a fire alarm test... or  _maybe_  even a hotel wide beach picnic!"

"Yeah," Jake heard himself scoff before he could stop himself, snorting at her ridiculous optimism. "Or maybe the Care Bears came down from the clouds and took everybody to Happy Happy Land!" He quipped sarcastically, chuckling dryly as he checked his bottle of Tequila, taking another swig when it he saw it remained over half full.

"Jake..." The athlete growled, his muscles rippling as he curled his hands into tight balls, scowling over at him as he raised a brow in feigned innocence. "That's not helping."

Jake snorted, studiously ignoring the large guy who'd given him his Tequila, who began to mutter about his ignorance over the Care Bears. "Not helping?" He scoffed, waving a hand towards them dismissively, as he felt his irritation spike. "You're the ones sittin' around playing story time... How about gettin' some  _real_  answers?" He sneered, smirking as the sports star glowered at him. "'Cause, truth is, I'm not here to help. I'm here to get  _paid."_  He said, winking conspiratorially as the dark skinned boys expression darkened even further. "And right now, ain't nobody here to pay me."

"We're only getting answers, if someone around here shows some leadership." The athlete growled, sneering at Jake in obvious distaste, as he felt his irritation soar further. "Looks like you're not up to the task."

"You throw a ball around, and think that qualifies you to talk to  _me_  about leadership?" Jake demanded, deliberately setting his Tequila on the ground, before stepping forward to match the athlete, readily squaring off with him.

"Ugh, not that I'm about to complain but..." The quiet guy huffed, glancing between them nervously. "The levels of testosterone out here just went through the roof... And I don't think its gonna help us, right at this moment..." He hedged weakly, as Jake glanced towards him.

"Not my fault Captain America here's tryin' to-" he began, only for the nerdy guy to quickly butt in again.

"You said about real answers..." He said quickly, his cheeks dusting a deep shade of pink as he shyly but determinedly met Jake's gaze. "Where would  _you_  have us start looking?" He urged, as Jake snorted, looking back at the athlete and sizing him up; suddenly itching at the opportunity to vent his frustrations with some good old fashioned, physical violence.

However, the athlete was begrudgingly offering his hand, and Jake grimaced before reluctantly accepting. "Great, power of friendship for all." The nerdy guy huffed again, his exasperation clear as he looked toward Jake, who quickly released the athletes hand and collected his bottle of Tequila. "But, now what are we supposed to do..?"

"Well, there has to be  _something_  around here that will tell us what happened, right?" The petite and fiery blonde suggested, sidling up to the athlete as she looked at Jake with a curiously raised brow, though he merely snorted his disinterest and turned away to swig at his drink. "I say we split up and search the hotel."

"Oh, wonderful idea, Michelle!" The tour guide trilled cheerfully, beaming a grin so wide, Jake thought it might split her face.

"Maybe... We might find something by the pool." Suggested the geeky, dark skinned girl, pushing her glasses higher upon her nose.

"The pool, huh?" Jake hummed, his lips curving into a wide grin as he pointed a finger in her direction. "I like the way you think..." He said, winking at her and snickering when she blushed. "I'll go with Brain Trust."

"Yo, Craig..." The large dark skinned boy said, nudging the hulking jock beside him, though Jake stopped listening, his thoughts turning to the pool and the sun loungers he expected to find.

Jake huffed, ignoring the group play team up as he unconsciously turns towards the distant volcano.  _Wonder how big a crater that... whatever it was, actually left_. He wondered vaguely, raising the Tequila to his lips, but pausing before he took a drink.  _Hmm, if this turns out to be as pointless as I expect, maybe I'll see about some hikin'... go see what's left_... He hummed, finally taking a drink as he turned to see everyone was splitting into groups. He followed them through the lobby and out the back doors, stepping into bright sunshine once more.

"Wow..." The geeky girl with the thick jumper gasped, as Jake rolled his eyes, his interest peeking when he caught sight of something over by the pool. "It's like an oasis, carved out of the Mesozoic Era!"

"No sign of anyone though..." The quiet guy with the purple shirt said, sighing as he looked around the empty pool area and outdoor bar. "So much for the cabana boys..."

Jake snorted as he brushed past them all, hopping into the poolside hammock he'd spotted with a content sigh. "Ahhh..." He hummed, smirking as he saluted his Tequila towards the others. "Maybe bein' stuck here a while ain't so bad." He said, though he cast his sharp eyes through the various shadows nearby carefully, making sure there were no surprises awaiting him should he foolishly lower his guard.

"After your big fuss," the pale boy demanded, scowling as Jake barely glanced towards him, too intent on making sure his surroundings were secure for the time being.. "You're just going to lie there and do nothing?"

"Don't knock it 'til you try it, Draco." He huffed, throwing them a cocky wink as he grinned and tucked one hand behind his head, swinging himself gently. "Might find you like the life of leisure."

"Indolent fool..." The pale guy sneered, turning away as the guy with the purple shirt bit his lip and looked at the hammock almost longingly, his cheeks dusted with a heavy blush.

 _What the hell have these kids had in their juice cups_? He wondered in vague amusement, thinking back to the redheads insistent flirting. _I ain't a saint, but holy hell, these guys're hornier than a cat in heat... Still, least he's more reserved. I doubt he'll even pluck up the courage to-_

"Hey, Jake?" He said suddenly, as Jake choked on a mouthful of Tequila, surprised out of his thoughts. "I uh, I was wondering about that thing we saw..." He said hesitantly, his hand resting on the edge of Jake's hammock, as he swallowed his remaining Tequila and looked up at the nerdy guy, privately unsettled by his sudden close proximity. "Do you... Do you think it has anything to do with, well... all  _this?"_

Jake rolled his eyes, sighing as he swung his legs free of his hammock again. "Listen Short Stuff, I dunno what ya thinkin', but a hunk o' rock ain't likely to have caused anythin' like this." He said, stretching as he got to his feet and moved back towards the lobby. "I wouldn't waste ya time worryin' abou-"

"I know you're curious too!" The nerdy guy burst suddenly, and Jake paused mid-step, his hand curling tighter around the neck of his bottle. "I know you wanna know, just as bad as I do..." He continued, stepping around Jake hesitantly, his face flushed with obvious embarrassment. "I wanna go-"

"Stick to what ya best at, Pinky." Jake snorted, knowing he was being an ass, but also indifferent to the guys shy flinch. "Don't go lookin' for trouble, when its already in ya lap." Jake moved away, heading back into the lobby before the guy could finish voicing the rest of his protests.  _Stupid kid.._. He thought, shaking his head as he took another drink.  _Gonna get himself hurt if he goes lookin' for whatever that thing was_. He sniffed, deliberately ignoring his own intentions to go searching for it; firmly telling himself it was an entirely different scenario.

He sighed as the college brats argued among themselves, ignoring them for the most part before noticing the heavily pierced girl was across the check in counter, reaching for a penthouse key. "Hmm..." He hummed, smirking as he strolled over and reached up for one of his own, figuring that he'd do better to go searching the following morning; now he'd already started drinking. "Don't mind if I do." He said, grabbing a key in the shape of a palm tree. He brushed past the others as they argued, yawning as he moved to the elevator and rode it up to the appropriate floor.

He shuffled down the hall upon exiting at the penthouse level, glancing back at the key as he took another swig of drink.  _Rainforest suite... Rainforest suite_... He thought, glancing around the doors until he found the matching one for his key. He slid the key into the lock, and swept inside, pausing to hum in surprise at the living tree; before stalking past the plush golden couches, and flopping face first om the bed, his bottle of Tequila falling to the floor.  _This is horseshit_... He thought distantly, rolling over to his back as he stared up at the ceiling and ran a hand through his hair _. I can't stay here... I gotta get my plane refueled and get the hell offa this damn island_. He sighed, swallowing thickly as he recalled the bright light falling ahead of his plane once again _. But I guess... One more day won't hurt. Just long enough to find out what that was_.

"... Hello?" A timid knock came at his door, and Jake rolled his eyes, determined to ignore whoever it was. "Okay, uh... I feel stupid, but... There's a party, and I just thought you might like to... Be invited?" Jake snorted, imagining the nerdy guy with the purple shirt, and his all but glowing cheeks. "Okay, well, uh... Anyway, just... see you there, maybe?"

Jake sighed, rolling across the bed to sit on the edge, frowning over at his door as he considered briefly. "... I'm outta booze anyway." He called at last, rolling his eyes at the gleeful gasp from behind the door, which he was obviously not supposed to have heard. "I'll be down in a bit." He said, shrugging out of his jacket as he moved over to the window, gazing out over the rainforest in the failing evening light.  _And tomorrow, I'm findin' out what you were, little rock._  He scoffed, before turning away and preparing for a night of facing, and  _avoiding people._


	4. This Must Be Heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola!
> 
> Sorry for the delay- lack of wifi and general disillusionment with the story has proven fatal to my poor wee heart.
> 
> But, i have one more perspective to show you (kudos to anyone who guesses who - more so if you guess why) and then the chapters should be bigger and more interesting again
> 
> Hope you enjoy
> 
> x My love to you all x

**3.**

**This Must Be Heaven**

Quinn twirled across the sand, laughing merrily as she danced her way into the shallow waters, smiling contently at the warm water which lapped at her feet. "Oh... This must be heaven!" She sighed, raising her arms towards the sun.  _So much freedom, so much sunshine..! An entire week of nothing but fun, adventure, finding love... and all the other things I've missed out on_! She thought, giggling as she stared out at the horizon. _And an entire week out of my parents reach... No arguments, no fights over whether I should be resting, or dragging me off to some new doctor for the latest miracle_... She thought, her smile fading slightly as guilt ate at her heart.

The large and ever cheerful boy, Raj, spread his arms and fell back on the sand with a deep sigh, looking over at Quinn with an oddly serious expression.  _"Yuuuup..._  I'm just staying here all week," he said, rolling his head back and closing his eyes to enjoy the sun. "I'm never moving again." He sighed, before frowning suddenly and raising his head to look around the group imploringly. "Can someone get me a beer?"

"Sorry, I'm busy with swimming..." She giggled, before half turning back to the others with a slight frown. "Though, I'm not the best at it... So, if anything happens, someone just carry me back to the beach and give me CPR, okay?" She asked semi seriously.

"Of course, Quinn." Said the blonde haired girl, Michelle, with a warm smile on her face. "I'll be your hero." She added with a giggle, as Quinn laughed herself. "Oh... Isn't this place wonderful?" Michelle said, her blonde hair shimmering like a golden halo beneath the tropical sun. "It's like our own private paradise!"

Quinn eyed the blonde thoughtfully for a long moment, biting her lip before she shook her head sadly.  _Incompatible... Shame, because she really is beautiful._  She thought, before sighing wistfully.  _That pilot though... My god, he's so hot... I can't believe he outright turned me down like that! Hmmpf, I'll have to try harder next time... No more holding back. I refuse to... die, a virgin._  She thought, pouting as she flicked her toes across the top of the gentle waves. "Isn't this magical?" She sighed, closing her eyes and turning her face back to the sun with a smile. "It's like we have the whole island to ourselves!"

"It sure is peaceful..." Michelle agreed, kicking off her sandals and rolling up her leggings to paddle beside Quinn. "Well, it was until Craig turned up..." She added, turning to throw a withering look at the largely muscled jock. Quinn bit her lip, eyeing him skeptically for a moment, and humming thoughtfully as her lips curved into a wicked grin.

"Oh, I don't know... I think he seems pretty fun." She said lightly, watching with interest as he began to bury Raj's legs in the sand, casting amused looks at his friends snoring face every so often to be sure it was safe to continue. _And as if he could probably pick me up and carry me with his little finger alone_... She thought, as she felt a rare blush stain her cheeks.

"Ha, that's because you don't know him." Michelle snorted inelegantly, quickly covering her mouth with her hand to hide her embarrassment. "Sorry... But, Craig's got a few, uh, issues." She giggled, glancing away as Quinn continued to watch the jock.

 _We've all got issues_... Some of us are just more open about them. She thought, before giggling quietly. "I'm sure he could put them aside for... Oh, an hour or two..." She said, as Michelle gasped and stared at her with a scandalized grin.

"Oh my god,  _really?!"_  She demanded, her eyes darting back to Craig in disbelief, as the jock moved higher to pile sand over his sleeping friends arms and torso.

"Sure, why not?" Quinn giggled, turning towards Michelle with a grin. "After all, who doesn't want to try out a hot football player at least once?" She asked, tilting her head slightly when Michelle averted her gaze.

"I..." Michelle began, before hesitating, her eyes filled with a deep heartache, as she stared down into the ankle deep waters sadly. Barely a moment later, the blonde had plastered a huge, false smile onto her face however, and was gazing at Quinn in obvious admiration.  "Are you always this spontaneous?" She asked, frowning when Quinn's smile faded, and she quickly turned back to gaze into the horizon.

For a long pause, Quinn remained silent, considering the good sense of confessing to someone who she recalled, was studying pre-med.  _But then she'll look at me differently... Like everyone looks at me differently._  She thought, taking a deep breath to steady herself. _And it will be straight back to having someone treat me like some kind of specimen, or project again... Just for this week, I want to be me... Not, Quinn; the dying girl_. She thought, swallowing heavily as she narrowed her eyes towards the almost setting sun. "No, I wasn't always like this..." She said quietly, shaking her head slowly. She locked her focus to the horizon, refusing to acknowledge the blonde beside her. "But after last year, I've tried to make the most of every day."

"... What happened last year?" Michelle asked quietly, her face falling with concern, as Quinn flinched from the surely soon to follow sympathy. "Are you okay?" She asked, as Quinn smiled and glanced towards her.

"Of course, how could I  _not_  be, in this place?!" She giggled, raising her arms over her head before launching herself forward I to the deeper waters, diving beneath the waves to escape the blondes show of sympathy. She surfaced a moment later with a gasp, brushing her wet hair from her face with a giggle. "Sorry, I just had the overwhelming urge that I just, needed to get all wet..!" She giggled, slowly dragging her hands over her neck and sides, glancing slyly towards Craig and Raj; pleased to see the jock was watching her, apparently entranced by the rivulets of salt water trailing over her breasts.

Quinn sighed and waded back through the water, but tripped fell forward, squealing with laughter as she spluttered on a mouthful of sea water. "Oops!" She giggled as she surfaced, when suddenly, her eyes lit up with delight and she scrambled back to her feet to get closer to the water. "Oh my  _god!_  Look!" She exclaimed excitedly, as something small and dazzling leapt out of the water and unfurled a pair of tiny wings, which gleamed like jewels under the suns rays. She gasped, holding out her hands as she beamed a joyful smile, allowing the tiny flying seahorse to flutter close enough that she could likely have caught it should she have wished.

 _So beautiful..._  She thought, staring in joy as the creature fluttered its tiny wings and hovered in front of her a few moments longer.  _Such beautiful things to be found in the world_... She thought, feeling oddly melancholy for a moment, before melting into another joyful smile as she gazed at the flying seahorse. Its tiny iridescent wings caught the sunlight, making it seem like it was glittering magically, before it finally darted away into the distance. "Did that  _seriously_  just happen..?" She breathed, glancing around the rest of the group at the beach, only to find none of them had seen it. Michelle was hurriedly slipping her sandals back on, as Raj woke up to find himself covered in sand, and Craig merely laughed at them both.

 _I guess... I have one more secret to keep_. Quinn thought distantly, as she slowly made her way out of the water to join the others. She dressed quickly, not wanting to keep the others waiting, and together they made the trek up the path towards the hotel.  _I wonder what that thing was... or what else I might come across_..! She thought, clasping her hands behind her back, as Craig carried her bag for her. She giggled, biting her lip as he glanced at her with an odd shyness in his usually boisterous gaze. 

"Wow..." She gasped, as they reached the hotel at last, her legs just beginning to tire as they rounded the final bend and strolled into the entrance way. "It's so big!" She cried, giggling again when Craig visibly flustered.  _Aw, who'd have thought he would be so shy under all that muscle and bravado_..? She thought, fluttering her eyelashes innocently at the jock, as they walked up to the automatic doors and stepped through into the crisp air conditioning of the lobby.

She blinked upon finding the rest of their group stood uncertainly in the lobby, the area feeling strangely abandoned, due to the random luggage lying around and the lack of welcoming staff. "What's going on..?" She asked hesitantly, stepping further into the room.

Her eyes ran over the abandoned equipment, the half finished drinks still stained with lipstick, as well as the empty help desk and bar.  _Where could everyone be._.? She wondered vaguely, slowly dragging her fingers along the edge of a comfortable looking, reclining armchair.

"So, does anybody happen to know-" Sean Gayle questioned at the sane time, his wide eyes travelling across the group, as Quinn paused to run her eyes over him appreciatively. "Where the  _hell_  is everyone?" 

Quinn cleared her throat and pushed aside her thoughts on the other football player, moving towards the concierge desk, only for Michelle beat her there and beginning to ring the bell endlessly.  _Mystery first Quinn, then maybe we can get back to the week of fun and no regrets_... She thought, a small smile curving her lips as she looked around the lobby and spotted the pilot prowling through the entrance with suspicious eyes.

She watched quietly as he seemed to examine everything, before moving over to the bar and snagging a bottle of Tequila from Raj, as the large boy made himself comfortable playing bartender.  _Well, he's got to have some sense of fun then, if he's into his drink like that..!_  She thought, biting her lip as a flush of desire flared in her cheeks.

Quinn slowly made her way through the lobby, pursing her lips as she worked her way through the group towards the pilot, only vaguely paying attention to the numerous conversations around her. She noticed Craig complaining about Grace's hesitancy to celebrate over their 'good luck' at having the resort to themselves, her eyes lingering on his bulging muscles briefly, before she continued to discreetly move through the lobby.

"It's like everyone just... got up and left." Said the quiet boy, Diego, she recalled hos name to be. She sighed, shaking her head as she saw his eyes flicker towards the pilot. 

 _I guess I'm not the only one wants to join the mile high club_...  _Its a shame he can't look at **me**  like that, he seems like he'd be so sweet.._. She thought longingly, before brushing the thought aside and looking over at him with a faint furrow to her brow.

"But, without their luggage?" She asked curiously, clasping her hand tightly behind her back to accentuate her curves. "Why?" She prodded, puffing out her cheeks as she pouted around the group, her gaze falling on Jake as he swigged from his bottle again.

"Does anybody have cell service?" Diego asked, frowning at the phone in his hand, before looking around them all nervously.

Quinn frowned, digging out her own phone to see she too had no reception. "No, there's nothing... Is this some sort of dead zone, or something..?" She asked, looking around curiously as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. Her attention was drawn by the slightly raised voice of the pale boy, as he began to argue with Craig over whether the island had cell towers or not.

She deftly avoided the mohawked, gloomy girl, Zahra, deciding she did not wish to be anywhere near the dark mooded girls ferocious scowl; even if it was aimed at Aleister, causing the pale boy to stammer briefly, before he devolved back into his superior snarl.

"What do  _you_  think is happening, Mr pilot?" Quinn asked curiously, sidling up beside Jake, as she flashed him her most innocent smile. "I mean, maybe this is all just... Some sort of prank, right?" She asked, clasping her arms tightly behind her back to make a show of her cleavage for the man.  _This is bound to catch his attenti-_ she thought, only to break off abruptly at his interjection.

"I think I'm busy." Jake said disinterestedly, barely glancing sideways at her, as he drew another deep swig of Tequila from his bottle.

"But, aren't you curious?" She asked, her eyes widening in surprise at his cool disinterest "Don't you maybe... wanna look around, and see what we can find? We could go together, if you want some compa-" she began to offer, only for the pilot to cut her off abruptly.

"I already told ya," Jake said, pushing away from the bar as he took another drag of Tequila. "I ain't ya huckleberry, Red." He huffed wearily, as Quinn stared after him in disbelief. He paused mid-step, as he began to move away, glancing back at her for a moment. "... Don't ask again." The pilot finally added, before turning and wandering away through the lobby. 

Quinn stared after him, the first tendrils of uncertainty beginning to curl through her gut _. Is it me..? Can he tell that I'm-_  she wondered, before forcing her thoughts to fall silent, smothering them with her own determination _. So, the hot pilot isn't interested. Fine... I still refuse to let this stupid disease take one more experience from me.._! She thought, swallowing heavily as she dabbed at her eyes quickly.

"Everyone! Please be calm!" Sean called, providing a welcome distraction as he raised his arms for everyone to see him. "I'm sure this is just... an evacuation due to a, gas leak or an outbreak or something, and everyone had to leave..." He hedged, clearly trying to reassure everyone.

 _So strong, but so reserved usually_. She thought, eyeing the sports star speculatively.  _But he hides things too, on those broad... so broad... shoulders of his_... She thought, trailing off as she bit her lip and openly stared at the athlete. _I wonder_ \- she thought, before cutting off abruptly, upon noticing Michelle's longing gaze towards Sean.  _Oh...  Another one bites the dust_... She thought with a sigh, casting a final, furtive look over the athlete, before realising everyone was moving outside.

"Lila... are you okay?" She heard Grace ask, as she hurried out after the others, to find the perky tour guide pacing frantically across the entrance driveway.

"... I'm sure this is positively nothing to worry about!" She cried, blinking her wide eyes as she rearranged her nervous expression into a beaming smile, her dimples popping back onto her cheeks suddenly. "I'd bet its just a fire alarm test... or  _maybe_  even a hotel wide beach picnic!" She said, her voice slowly regaining its confidence the more she spoke.

"Yeah," Jake scoffed, drawing the others attention as he clearly mocked the tour guides optimism. "Or maybe the Care Bears came down from the clouds and took everybody to Happy Happy Land!" He quipped sarcastically, chuckling dryly as he checked his bottle of Tequila, before taking another long swig.

"Jake..." The athlete growled, and Quinn's eyes widened as she watched his muscles rippling, when he curled his hands into tight balls. She glanced between Sean and Jake, as the sports star scowled over at the pilot in irritation, and Jake merely raised a brow in feigned innocence. "That's  _not_  helping."

Jake snorted, as Raj muttered quietly about his ignorance over the Care Bears. "Not helping?" He scoffed, waving a hand around the group dismissively. "You're the ones sittin' around playing story time... How about gettin' some  _real_  answers?" He sneered, smirking as the Sean glowered at him. "'Cause, truth is, I'm not here to  _help..._  I'm here to get  _paid."_  He said, winking conspiratorially as the dark skinned boys expression darkened even further. "And right now, ain't nobody here to pay me."

 _Okay, hot, but apparently has more issues than I first thought_... Quinn thought uneasily, as Sean and Jake seemed to exacerbate each others tempers.  _What the hell happened to make him so jaded and antisocial._.? She wondered, before shaking her head briefly.  _Not that I have any right to pry into other peoples secrets, considering my own_... She thought, exhaling a deep breath slowly, as she forced her attention back to Sean.

"We're only getting answers, if someone around here shows some leadership." The athlete growled, sneering at Jake in obvious distaste, as Quinn bit her lip nervously. "Looks like  _you're_  not up to the task."

"You throw a ball around, and think that qualifies you to talk to  _me_  about leadership?" Jake demanded, setting his Tequila on the ground, before the pair took a threatening step forwards, squaring off with with each other.

"Ugh, not that I'm about to complain, but..." Diego huffed, much to Quinn's relief, as she watched the quiet boy glance between them nervously. "The levels of testosterone out here just went through the roof... And I don't think its gonna help us, right at this moment..." He hedged weakly, as Jake glanced towards him.

"Not my fault Captain America here's tryin' to-" the pilot began, only for Diego to quickly interject before he could finish.

"You said about real answers..." Diego said quickly, and Quinn noticed his cheeks dusting a deep shade of pink, as he shyly but determinedly met Jake's gaze. "Where would  _you_  have us start looking?" He asked, as Quinn pouted at his ability to hold the pilots attention, however briefly. She watched as Jake snorted, turning back to Sean appraisingly, only to find the athlete offering his hand begrudgingly. Quinn sighed in relief as Jake grimaced, before he reluctantly accepted. "Great, power of friendship for all." Diego huffed again, and Quinn shared his exasperation, as they watched Jake quickly release the athletes hand and collect his bottle of Tequila. "But, now what are we supposed to do..?"

"Well, there has to be something around here that will tell us what happened, right?" Michelle suggested, sidling up to Sean's side and looking over at Jake with a curiously raised brow, though he merely snorted his disinterest and turned away to swig at his drink. "I say we split up and search the hotel."

"Oh, wonderful idea, Michelle!" The tour guide trilled cheerfully, beaming a wide smile around the group.

"Maybe... We might find something by the pool." Suggested Grace, pushing her glasses higher upon her nose.

"The pool, huh?" Jake hummed, his lips curving into a wide grin as he pointed a finger in her direction. "I like the way you think..." He said, winking at her and snickering when she blushed. "I'll go with Brain Trust."

"Yo, Craig..." Raj skinned boy said, nudging the hulking, muscular boy beside him. "If things were normal, what'd we be doing right now?"

"Uh, eating..?" Craig replied uncertainly and Quinn giggled, ducking her head as the jock gazed at his friend in wide eyed confusion, finding him curiously cute in his innocence.

"Exactly." Raj nodded, beaming a proud smirk at his friend, and sharing a fist bump with him. "We'll take the restaurant."

“Perfect!” Lila cried excitedly, startling Quinn with her exuberance. “Where would  _you_  like to look, Zahra?” She asked, turning to the scowling girl beside her.

“Don’t care.” Zahra droned, appearing utterly unimpressed that she was to be paired with the perky guide.

“Well, how about we check out the Ballroom?” Lila asked, after a moments pause to think, as Quinn bit her lip in thoughtful consideration. 

 _“Still_  don’t care.” Zahra repeated, as emotionlessly as the first time she'd answered.

"I'll come too!" Quinn called suddenly, excited to see a grand ballroom like in the dancing lessons she'd begun when she was small, before her illness had reared its ugly head.

"Great!" Lila giggled, practically bouncing as they formed a group and moved back into the lobby and crossed to the elevator. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Lila said, seemingly vibrating with restless energy, as she pressed the button to call the elevator. "Just wait until you see! The ballroom is so beautiful! And there's..." Quinn allowed Lila's explanation to trail off, glancing back towards the lobby to see the hot pilot following Grace, Aleister and Diego out to the pool; while Sean, Michelle, Raj and Craig headed to the restaurant across the atrium and up the stairs.

 _Something tells me even here, I'm gonna be fighting to make any kind of connection_... She thought with a wistful sigh, shaking her head as she stepped into the elevator behind the others and rode it up to the appropriate level. Together, they followed the signs to the ballroom with Zahra and Lila, her eyes widening as they finally walked into the high ceilinged room. "Oh wow..." She gasped, looking around in awe at the co-ordinated blue and white decorations, and the gorgeous floral displays. "It looks like they were in the middle of a wedding!"

"Oh good, everyone can relax." Zahra snorted, rolling her eyes as Quinn's expression of wonder morphed into a pout. "Quinn is here to state the obvious. Dunno  _how_  we would've coped without that."

Quinn stared at the dark girl dejectedly for a few moments, before lowering her gaze to the floor and shuffling her feet awkwardly. "Do you  _like_  being such a jerk..?" She murmured, her cheeks puffing and her pout returning, as she raised her eyes to meet the other girls accusingly.

"Wow, two in a row!" Zahra cheered in feigned delight, winking at Quinn sarcastically. "You're on a roll." She snorted, before rolling her eyes again in exasperation, while Quinn pointedly averted her gaze.

"What could've happened here?" Lila asked, her bubbly personality seeming to take a severe knock, as Quinn looked over to see the brunette examining the room dejectedly. "Everything's perfectly intact...  The champagne's poured, the flowers arranged..." She said, shaking her head as she trailed off into stunned silence.

"... Just no  _people."_  Quinn concluded quietly, looking around the beautifully decorated tables in quiet awe. She trailed her finger across the back of a chair, not realising as she began to hum to herself quietly.

"Maybe the bride realised that the institution of marriage is a joke," Zahra snorted, as she eyed the decorations with a disapproving sneer. "And hightailed it outta here?"

 _"Marriage?"_  Lila choked, her eyes widening in obvious disbelief as she and Quinn turned towards Zahra in surprise. "A  _joke?!"_

Oh, how sad... To spend life so angry you can't even enjoy the beautiful things. Quinn thought sadly, sighing wistfully as she looked around again. "It's nice to have such a big, and fancy ceremony..." She said, slowly moving towards the obvious podium at the front of the ballroom. "But so long as you're with your soulmate... who cares?" She said, smiling back at the others over her shoulder.

"You... really believe that?" Lila asked, her broad smile returning at Quinn's quiet giggle and nod.

"Doesn't everyone?" She asked, picking up a bunch of flowers and holding it before her, gazing down at them thoughtfully.  _This is something else I'll never know_... She thought, her smile fading as she tried to imagine feeling so strongly for someone, she couldn't bear to be apart from them.

"At first I thought you were a captive of the marital-industrial complex," Zahra sighed, shaking her head in quiet disbelief. "But, it turns out you're even more of a sap. You believe in  _soulmates."_  She snorted derisively, shaking her head as she moved towards a table.

Quinn giggled quietly, turning with a broad smile. "Guilty a charged!" She admitted, running her fingers over the delicate petals of the bouquet she'd picked up.

"Well, I think  _your_  soulmate will be very pleased when you find them, Quinn!" Lila giggled, riffling through a guest book filled with signatures and well wishes, missing the flash of grief which passed through Quinn's crystalline blue eyes. 

 _If only._.. She thought, swallowing thickly before pasting a wide smile back on her face. "Oh, no... I don't think I was lucky enough to get one... But, I bet the others do!" She said breezily, as Zahra reached for a bottle of wine from the nearest table, and popped the cork.

 _"Zahra!"_  Lila gasped, hurrying over to hover just behind the dark mooded girl, glancing around nervously. "That doesn't belong to us!" She hissed, as Zahra ignored the tour guide, and poured herself a glass.

"Gonna report me? To who, exactly?" She said at last, snickering as Lila abruptly fell silent. "Gimme a break. Last I checked, this was still a vacation." The heavily pierced girl snorted, as she poured a second glass, hesitating only a moment, before holding it out for Quinn. "How 'bout it, Dreamer?" She said, smirking expectantly.

 _Should I..?_  Quinn wondered, glancing at Lila and biting her lip a moment, before breaking into a wide grin and accepting the glass. "Oh, what the hell." She giggled, clinking her glass to Zahra's, who looked at her with a curiously raised brow, seeming almost as if she were impressed. "Might never have the chance again, right?" She sipped at the wine with Zahra, a small gasp of joy escaping her, at the crisp and tangy flavour which burst across her tongue.  _"Mmmm!_  Oh, that's a good one! It's almost on par with Domaine de Marceau, and that's legendary!"

"Seriously, that's some genuinely good stuff." Zahra admitted, a huge smile on her lips as she looked at her glass appraisingly, glancing at Quinn appreciatively for her surprising comment. "They must've spent outta control for them..."

"Let me see that..?" Quinn asked with a shy smile, sipping her glass again as she reached over and took the bottle from Zahra. "Oh my god, look at this label..!" She gasped, her eyes widening as she looked up at Zahra in shock briefly, before looking back at the bottle. "... This wine, is from nineteen twenty two!"

"Zahra!" Lila yelped, her distress palpable as she ran both hands through her hair suddenly. "You just uncorked, like... an eight hundred dollar bottle of wine!"

"Eh," Zahra shrugged indifferently, burping loudly as she looked at her now empty glass, before returning her dispassionate gaze to Lila. "It wasn't that good."

"Oh my gosh..." Quinn murmured, looking around the tables in disbelief.  _"Look!_  Every bottle, on every table at this wedding, is from pre nineteen twenty four!" She gasped, shaking her head slowly as she gazed around the various bottles. "Who would spend that much?!"

"The answer, as for most baffling questions..." Zahra said leadingly, looking around the other bottles curiously. "Is  _crazy rich people._ " She said, snorting at Quinn's quiet giggle in reply.

"Come on," she said, setting her glass and the bottle on the table reluctantly and casting a final, longing look about the room. "We should head back to the lobby, and let everybody know what we found..." She said, sighing as she moved slowly towards the exit.

"Whatever." Zahra snorted, reaching for the bottle of wine and trading it fir her empty glass. "But I'm bringing the booze." She said, swigging from the bottle as they headed back towards the lobby.

Quinn paused at the entrance to the ballroom, glancing back at the beautiful room _. I hope you enjoy your lives together, whoever you are_... She thought wistfully, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. _You don't know how lucky you truly are_... She thought before she could stop herself, flushing guiltily as she turned and followed the others, riding the elevator back to the lobby.

The group were already assembled, reading tales about the things they'd seen. Once the others had finished, Quinn quickly piped up with her own revelations. "We basically stumbled onto a wedding straight out of the roaring twenties in the Ballroom!" She explained excitedly, gesturing towards the bottle in Zahra's hands. 

"They had good wine at least, I guess." Zahra said, tilting a bottle in salute toward them, though she refused to let anyone try any.

Quinn looked around the lobby, biting her lip as she clasped her hands behind her back, her heart skipping a beat as she looked over towards the pilot longingly _. I wonder what it would take to get him to actually warm up._.. She thought, sighing as he grabbed a room key and moved over to the elevator. "Oh!" She cried, blinking as she realised that everyone was picking their own rooms from the penthouse suites. She quickly walked around to the desk, reaching up hesitantly to pick a key with a dolphin tail.

She turned to look at the rest of the group, all ambling away in various states of dejection and concern, and her heart swelled with the desire to see them all smiling again, like at the airport.  _We need something to bring us all together, make us forget our worries, just for the night_... She thought, looking down at her hand, as she curled her fingers around her key tightly.  _Forgetting, and pushing things aside... Hiding from the truth... Its what I do best. So, what better way to help everyone get along than_... She thought, as she raised her gaze to the rest of the group once more.

"Hey!" She called suddenly, beaming widely as the others turned back towards her from the elevator. She giggled and buried the pain she felt at the thought of yet more hiding, gazing around the other students excitedly. "We should have a party!" 


	5. Don't Let Them See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola!
> 
> I am REEEEAAAALLY sorry for not updating so long.  
> Most of you knowni have been struck by some unpleasantness and its played havok on my depression. I wanna just take a moment to thank everyone who has helped me through that (here, twitter, facebook or email) you are all amazing and wonderful and i love you.
> 
> So; anyway back on point - i love the plot behind all this. And im sorry, if its been a rough start, originally i didnt plan to do it this way see; it was all gonna be jakes pov until a bit later... but now i have an idea how to maneuver the chapters bettwr while its still not the Main pov. So this should be the last shorty... i hope to have updates ready for this weekly at least, if not more. Its a lot more original plot in this - ao it might be a bit longer than normal atill, but i just... really want to share it
> 
> Anyway, ive taken enough time from you. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> x My love to you all x

**4.**

**Don't Let Them See.**

Sean sighed, running a hand over his short hair as he trailed along at the back of his small group, crossing the atrium to take the stairs up to the famed, five star restaurant on The Celestials upper floors; Tortuga _. I shouldn't have lost my cool._  He thought, shaking his head shamefully as he followed along behind the others, frowning faintly as he thought back to his near fistfight with the more experienced man _. What is it about him that just, rubs me the wrong way.._? He wondered, though if he was honest, he knew exactly what his problem with the seemingly moral-less pilot was.

 _He's too familiar_. He finally admitted to himself, swallowing thickly as memories surged, attempting to smother him with fear, pain and sadness. He clenched his hand into a tight ball, his expression turning determined as he shook his head, casting the memories aside and blocking them once more behind the tall wall of shame. _I ain't letting myself be a victim again. I'll fight to keep everyone here safe, to protect everyone I can. If he wants to be an_ \- Sean's thoughts cut off abruptly, his eyes widening as he followed the others through the double doors to the restaurant. "Okay, this place is pretty classy..." He admitted, successfully dodging away from his thoughts and memories. "Nobody here either though, huh?" He asked, frowning as he looked around the similarly abandoned tables as the lobby downstairs.

"Too bad." Raj said jovially, turning with a faint frown to examine the room briefly. "I was hoping everyone in the hotel was just hiding to give us a surprise party." He said, stepping further into the room cautiously, his eyes widening as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "I guess I was  _wroooong..?"_  He called loudly, pausing to listen with anticipation.

Sean rolled his eyes, almost amused, save for his rising concern over their dismal situation. "Raj." He said, gently clapping his friend on the shoulder as he passed. "There's no surprise party." He said firmly, moving over to the nearest table to examine it closer.

 _"Dammit!"_  Raj huffed, scowling as he glared around the restaurant accusingly. "That leaves me with one option... Sean, I need you to slap me." He demanded seriously.

Sean choked, turning to his friend with wide eyes, his stomach dropping in horror.  _"What?!"_  He demanded, before running a hand over his hair again and trying to soothe his frayed nerves. "Er, do I dare ask why?" He asked, trying to deflect attention from his initial outburst.

"Because, I've  _definitely_  had this dream before..." Raj explained, unaware of Sean's strong reaction to his request. "And I'd like to wake up before the part where the pancakes come to life and start singing a Beyoncé song."

Sean shook his head, sighing quietly at the large boys simple and innocent thoughts.  _Oh, to be so unconcerned with the real world as Raj.._. He thought snidely, averting his gaze as he was immediately swamped by guilt. "Uh, Craig will probably be a better choice, man..." He muttered, turning back to the table.

"I am  _there!"_  Craig cried joyfully, winding up and skipping across the distance between them, to backhand Raj across the face; the pair utterly ignorant of Sean's stiff shoulders, or the way he flinched at the harsh sound of skin striking skin.

 _"Hrrrnnnn!"_  Raj gasped, shaking his head as he wobbled on the spot briefly.  "... Okay, this is  _definitely_  not a dream." He huffed, rubbing his cheek with a wince. "Thank you very much, Craig."

"What would you do without me, bro?" The jock sniggered, and Sean glanced back to see the pair fist bump fondly, Craig beaming a wide grin to the other boy.

Unable to remain standing still so close to the oblivious pair, Sean strolled among a few of the other tables. "A bunch of these people left their credit cards behind with the bill..." He muttered, his brow creasing as he focused his attention onto the mystery still before them. "Guess everyone took off in a pretty big hurry."

"Ooooh, this place must be absolutely decadent. I mean, just  _look_  at these prices!" Michelle gasped, and Sean turned to see her browsing a menu with an awed and excited smile. His gut tightened, the same way it did whenever he saw her smile so brightly. "Sean, we absolutely must come here once the staff shows up... The chef is actually a family friend of a family friend; so I practically know him." The blonde continued, as Sean dug his nails into his palm, his expression darkening as he raised his eyes towards her.

"Yeah. I'm sure." He said stiffly, as Michelle's smile faltered in obvious confusion. He took a vindictive kind of glee from the loss of her smile, his thoughts coming easier when he wasn't blinded by just how much he still loved her, even after everything she'd done. "I don't think I'd like the food here though, seems a little overindulgent for my taste." He sneered, telling himself they he didn't feel guilty for the way the blonde flinched as if he'd struck her. He brushed past her, forcing himself to ignore the urge to apologise.  _She betrayed me... I'm not gonna just let her think that I'll forgive her for it. We're over._  He thought, swallowing thickly as his heart lurched, his feelings still just as strong for her as they ever were.

He cleared his throat, moving over to a giant window, which seemed to overlook the entire island.  _This trip was supposed to be a chance to relax, a chance to just... be me. To find out who me, really is_. He thought, swallowing heavily against the rising flush of heat in his cheeks, his frustration nipping at his temper less than playfully.  _Now it seems like its intent on driving me to breaking point..._ He thought, sighing dejectedly as he gazed out at the colossal volcano, looming over the rainforest.  _Gotta keep the game face on, man. Don't let them see_... He thought urgently, drawing in a deep breath as he braced one arm against the window frame, resting his forehead to the cool glass briefly.

Sean's brow slowly furrowed, raising his head slowly as he narrowed his eyes at the volcano, his eyes tracking the faint movement above it with sharp eyes. "So..." He began, speaking over his shoulder to the others, as his eyes remained locked onto the scene before him. "I'm no volcano expert. But, didn't they say in the brochure; that thing was supposed to be dormant?" He asked, blinking rapidly before scrunching up his face to double check what he was seeing. 

"Dude..." Raj breathed, moving  closer with Craig, as they all watched the massive plume of steam, rising from the crater st the peak. "That does  _not_  look dormant!" He cried uneasily, his eyes wide as he unknowingly voiced Sean's own thoughts and concerns.

"Bro, look!" Craig said suddenly, gesturing to a smaller, darker plume at the base of the huge volcano. Sean narrowed his eyes, but shook his head, the smaller disturbance seeming almost extinguished. "There's a second one!"

"Nah, man... That's something else entirely." Sean muttered, his brows rising as a sudden thought occurred to him. "But, could be that has something to do with whatever's going on here..."

"But, since when is the volcano active?" Michelle asked, moving to stand beside Craig in favour of Sean. The athlete firmly told himself he was not affected by this, ignoring the painful hitch of his heart which branded him a liar.

"I don't know but..." He said stiffly, trailing off as something caught his eye; a flash of movement near the halfway point of the volcano. He returned his gaze, and after a moment, he sae it again. "Whoa,  _hey,_  do you see that?" He demanded, gesturing to the high peak as he glanced at the others.

"See what?" Raj asked, frowning as he peered through the window, as if expecting something to leap up at him.

 _"Riiiight..."_  Sean said slowly, tracing his finger across the surface of the window to point at the area he'd seen the flash; before pointing directly at it, when it flashed again.  _"There!"_  He said, moving to stand beside Raj, allowing him to follow the direction of his outstretched arm. He followed the view himself, looking out into the distance, where halfway up the volcano's slope, the mysterious something once more glinted in the sunlight.

"What is _that?!"_ Raj cried, backing away from the window nervously. "Is it someone signaling us?" He demanded, shaking his head as he stared around the restaurant in obvious concern. " _Are aliens trying to abduct us_?!" 

"I uh, I don't think so..." Sean said slowly, watching the other boy with a raised brow briefly, before turning back to the curious phenomena. "It's too regular. The light glints every second and a half or so."

"So, it's something... rotating?" Craig asked, causing the group to turn at him with obvious surprise on their faces.  _"What?!"_  He demanded, shrugging his shoulders defensively. "I know stuff!"

The group averted their eyes from the jock, each shifting in awkward guilt for a moment, before Michelle cleared her throat suddenly. "Good eye, Sean." She said brightly, with that smile again, though her eyes wouldn't quite meet his after his previous outburst.

"Glad you think I'm good for something." He said before he could stop himself, and though his heart thudded with bitterness in his chest, he plastered his crowd pleasing false grin to his face, and beamed around the group; though Michelle noticeably avoided looking back at him. "Maybe that's where the guests took off to?" He suggested, as the other three exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

"Could be, dude." Raj said cheerfully, glancing back at the kitchen longingly, before tipping his head towards the double doors they'd entered through. "We should get back to the lobby, and tell the others." He said, clapping Sean on the shoulder briefly before turning to lead the way back himself.

Sean watched his friends a moment, before glancing back out the window, half hoping the strange object would return so he could watch it awhile longer; avoid having to paste the smile on his face and pretend he was the shining star the tabloids always made him out to be.  _That was the whole point of coming here._.. He thought dejectedly, sighing heavily as he shook his head and turned to follow after the others.  _But I guess I just wasn't meant to be._

The trip back to the lobby was filled with the laughter of his friends as they teased and bantered with each other, each babbling about the restaurant and the food they planned to eat later. At least one group was still missing when they returned, but there were some others already gathered and trading tales of what they'd found. The quiet hum of conversation turned into an excited babble of noise, as Raj and Craig rejoined the fray, with the group from the ballroom soon returning as well.

"From the restaurant, we saw this thing up on the volcano! It was, like,  _there..."_  Craig gushed, his eyes wide a she emphasised heavily with his hands. "And then  _not!"_

"Wow, Craig." Zahra scoffed, rolling her eyes at his excited explanation, causing the jocks ears to tinge with a hint of pink in embarrassment. "And here I thought you couldn't say anything dumber than-"

"Hey, just cuz you-" Craig began, trying to cut off whatever Zahra was about to reveal about the time they thought nobody remembered them spending together in freshman year.

"Guys, this isn't helping..." Sean said over them both, leaving then to glare heatedly at each other. He smiled when Quinn quickly interjected with everything they'd found in the ballroom, stifling a sigh of relief when Craig and Zahra finally looked away from each other and let whatever issue remained between them drop, for the time being at least. He looked around, and noticed Aleister standing by himself, in front of a towering painting of a goateed man. "Hey, Aleister." He said, moving over to examine the painting briefly for himself. "Who's the suit?" He asked, gesturing to the somewhat overly exuberant depiction of a well suited man, holding an emerald sword.

"Hrn? Oh..." Aleister started, shifting to look at Sean almost guiltily. "Sean." He said by way of greeting, recovering his wits quickly. "It's Everett Rourke... The CEO of Rourke International; and the man who built this hotel."

"The guy who brought us here then?" Sean asked, frowning up at the man towering over them, his expression fixed into an eternally smug grin. "The guy who made the competition..?" 

"Indeed." Aleister said succinctly, his eyes locked firmly on the painting. "Visionary, genius... But still a vain and pompous fool." He sneered, causing Sean to blink in surprise at his noticeably hostile tone. The pale boy marched off, barely avoiding bumping into Grace, before pushing past her anyway.

Sean shook his head at Aleister's attitude, glancing back at the portrait before moving back to the group; where everyone seemed to have fallen into an uneasy silence. "So, after all this, what we're saying is..." He sighed, running a hand over his hair distractedly. "We still have no idea where the staff and guests went." He summarized, as the group began to reluctantly nod in agreement of his statement, minus the melancholy pilot; who was more interested in his bottle of Tequila. Sean's hand curled into fists, his hatred of his alcoholic father, unconsciously transferring to the obvious heavy drinker. 

"All we've got is more questions..." Quinn said, frowning and biting her lip as she peeked longingly over at the arrogant, but admittedly good looking pilot.

 _Why is it always the assholes people go for.._? Sean wondered darkly, his fingers twitching as he recalled the all too familiar screams from his childhood. He looked up at Quinn's gasp, shaking his head in exasperation as he realised the group were picking keys from wherever they pleased rather than the ones for their assigned rooms.  _Sheep without a shepherd_... He thought vaguely, as the others grabbed keys and began making their weary way towards the elevator, the lack of answers only adding to their jetlagged exhaustion. Sean flashed a brief smile at Quinn, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, as he reached up and took the key assigned to him.  _Only thing I need is a bed_. He thought, as he turned and followed the others.

"Hey!" Quinn cried suddenly, a huge smile on her face as Sean and the others looked back at her. She giggled and flicked her hair over her shoulder, excitement bubbling in the bounce of her heels. "We should have a party!" She declared, as Sean raised a brow, wondering how such a thing would help anything. He glanced towards the elevator, where his friends were perking considerably at the idea.

 _Some things never change.._. He thought with a sigh, as Raj, Zahra and Craig noticeably brightened; their excitement palpable and contagious in the air around them. "Alright Quinn," he huffed,.turning back to her with a small grin. "What d'you have in mind?" He asked, as Quinn giggled again and bit her lip a moment while she thought.

"Well..." She said, a sly gleam entering her eye as she rocked back on her heels a moment. "It's a little late to hit the beach... But, there's a great pool out there, complete with mini bar!" She hinted, tipping her chin to the back door which led to the hotel pool.

 _Few laps might be nice actually_. Sean considered, humming thoughtfully.  _De-stress and burn off some of this pent up._.. The athlete cut the thought off, curling his fingers tightly into his palm as he flashed a winning smile over at Quinn. "I think we best go see what we cam scrounge up then, huh?" He said, as Quinn clapped her hands and laughed happily as she skipped closer.

"Dibs on first dip!" She laughed, darting out the back door with her shirt already half removed.

"Hey! You've already been swimming!" He called with a small chuckle, genuinely amused by the redheads enthusiasm. "Damn, she's got some love for life." He admired quietly, wincing as Michelle paused while passing, before continuing on her way outside. He ran his hand over his hair awkwardly, only just noticing as the cute, shy guy;  _Diego..._  He recalled with a frown, slipped away in the elevator.  _Guess his attentions are focused on assholes too._  He thought, before immediately dismissing the idea.  _No, he's just being friendly, cuz that's how he seems to be. I'm the one being an asshole for judging_. He thought with a grimace, shaking himself briefly in an attempt to shed his melancholy.  _Okay, smiles up._  He thought, plastering the assured grin he usually saved for the tabloids across his face.  _Lets do this._  He sighed, pushing himself to follow Quinn, Michelle and Grace outside and see what he could do to help.

An hour and a half later, he was gliding through the water in the pool like a knife over butter, all thoughts of the 'party' forgotten as the stagnant air around them all continued to fester. He kicked off from one wall, and sliced his way through the water almost without a single splash, his body moving seamlessly to propel him quickly to the other end again. He grabbed the edge of the pool upon reaching the far side, pausing to catch his breath a moment, as he looked around at the despondent faces of his classmates and friends _._

 _After all the effort the girls went to..._  He thought, shaking his head as he glanced up at the lights which Quinn and Michelle had strung up all around the area, while Grace rewired the circuits to make them sync with the music; although, that had ceased playing some time ago. He looked over at Zahra and Craig, having an arm wrestling match as Raj refereed, before his gaze moved on. 

Sean carefully skipped his eyes over Michelle, though the tight knot in his stomach still made its appearance, his heart both aching for and breaking over the blonde girl. He ran his eyes over Jake by the bar, nursing another bottle of something while he determinedly avoided Quinn or Diego's hopeful gazes. He sighed, shaking his head as he returned his attention to his laps. After another six full revolutions around the pool, he paused again, disheartened to see not much had changed, save a quiet argument at the bar.

Jake was full on scowling at Diego, obviously irritated, while Quinn looked between them both worriedly. Sean frowned, not liking the even tenser atmosphere surrounding the small group, and quickly climbed out of the pool. "... can't just expect we'd let you go alone!" Diego said insistently, his tone low as Sean approached so as not to alert the others. "You don't know what's out there!"

"I ain't askin' ya permission, Pinky, and I ain't babysittin' ya inexperienced asses." Jake muttered, clearly annoyed by whatever topic they were discussing. "I work better alone, besides, I got trainin' for this kinda shit. Somehow, I don't think trekkin' and trackin' is quite what ya used to..." The pilot snorted, tipping a bottle to his lips, the label obscured by his hand.

"What's going on..?" Sean asked, glancing between the guilty expressions of Quinn and Diego, and Jake's furious scowl. "Oh man, I can already tell; whatever this is, it's a stupid idea." He sighed, running a hand over his hair as he  dripped on the edge of the bar.

"Hey, it ain't nothin' to do with any of y'all what the hell I do!" Jake growled defensively, pushing away from the edge of the bar to stalk away from them. "I know what I'm damn well doin', and I ain't gonna take orders from a buncha kids who dunno a damn-"

"What the hell are you even thinking of doing?" Sean demanded, frowning as the pilot suddenly fell silent. "What, scouting for help? Let us come along, man, you could use our help-"

"I don't need ya damn help." Jake snapped quickly, muttering over his shoulder as he raised the bottle to his lips once more. "I don't need anyone..."

"When he was flying us in, something fell outta the sky ahead of us; an asteroid or something, I dunno... But I saw it myself." Diego said quickly, as Jake turned an exasperated scowl his way. "He's gonna go find whatever it was, and I said we should go with him... In case it has something to do with, all this..." He continued determinedly, as Jake rolled his eyes and snorted.

"And I repeat; ya ain't comin' with me." He said firmly, his shaggy hair waving gently about his face, as he shook his head. "Ya ain't got a lick of trainin' between ya."

"You don't know what's out there," Sean said, frowning at the pilots stubborn attitude. "What if something happens to you, man?"

"What, you think you're gonna be able to fight off somethin' I ain't, Steve Rogers?" Jake scoffed, shaking his head in amusement. "Pfft, as if I would ever need ya help anyway..." He murmured, staring vacantly ahead for a brief moment, allowing Sean to suddenly glimpse the raw pain beneath the mans stubborn refusal. Sean blinked, certain of what he'd seen, but the look was gone as fast as he saw it, replaced by the cocky attitude of the pilot once more.

"Needed or not... You're getting it." Sean said determinedly, folding his arms over his chest, meeting Jake's furious scowl evenly as the pilot turned towards him with a growl. "We shouldn't really split up with things how they are right now... We don't know what happened here, or what's out there. We're better off sticking together as much as possibke."

"I'm coming too." Diego said suddenly, his eyes darting to meet Jake's irritated glance, before looking back at Sean with a shy smile. "Sean's right, safety in numbers."

"Well, don't think you're leaving  _me_  outta the fun!" Quinn said, pouting at them as she rest her hand on her hip. "I'm coming too." She insisted, sharing a brief giggle with Diego a she broke out in a wide grin.

"Ya all fuckin' idiots." Jake scoffed, shaking his head as he turned and began walking away. "Good luck not dyin'!" He snorted, as Sean rolled his eyes and finally lowered his arms again with a sigh.

"I guess the parties over for tonight guys," he said quietly, trying not to draw the others attention to their exchange. "We better be ready pretty early to stop him leaving without us..."

"I dunno, the amount he's drunk tonight?" Diego offered quietly, looking after the pilot thoughtfully. "I doubt he will be up and outta here so early, even if that is his plan..." He said, looking back at Sean with a small grin. "Thanks by the way, for siding with us on this..."

"Yeah, it's good to know you've got our backs, Sean." Quinn said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek briefly, before passing him to head towards her room.

Sean cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly at the small flicker of affection he felt from the redheads brief brush of her lips against his cheek. He met Diego's vaguely amused gaze, as he gently patted his arm. "Yeah, it really is." He said, hesitating briefly as he bit his lip, his face flooding with a deep stain of red, before he quickly hurried past Sean toward the elevator.

Sean smiled, looking after the pair fondly as he felt a flicker of warmth in his gut.  _Maybe there hope for this vacation yet..._  He thought, shaking his head as he followed after them, intending to get a decent nights rest if he could, before the no doubt busy morning ahead of them.  _Who knows, maybe we will even find some answers at last._


End file.
